Published: Tuesday, December 11, 2012 at 9:37 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, December 11, 2012 at 9:37 p.m.

Lafourche Parish is inching closer to a new jail by setting aside money for it in the 2013 budget.

But the $400,000 budgeted for the jail is nowhere near the hypothetical $20 million price tag.

Meanwhile, debate goes on regarding taxes to finance the facility, who should design it and how big it should be.

Councilman Lindel Toups, who chaired the new jail committee, said he is pleased 2012 saw money appropriated to the project and government officials almost agreeing on a financing method without new taxes and who should be the architect.

This is the first time money has been set aside for a new jail.

“If we decide to move forward this way, we can spend it on the land or we can use it to hire an architect or engineer,” Toups said.

Though strides have been made toward hiring an architect, there has been an ongoing disagreement between the Parish Council and Parish President Charlotte Randolph on if the parish can hire the council's choice.

After hearing the presentation of a $19 million, 600-bed facility from Louisiana jail magnate Mike LeBlanc, the Parish Council unanimously urged Randolph to hire LeBlanc.

Randolph has stalled on that request arguiing money must be appropriated before the project can be designed.

But now Randolph, who plans to meet with LeBlanc in the new year, said she is warming to LeBlanc's proposal because of provisions for local contractors and engineers she wasn't aware of.

Toups said the $400,000 should allow the architect to be hired, and LeBlanc has offered to draw the designs for a down payment of $10,000.

Even with an architect and $400,000, the parish has not agreed on how to finance the facility.

Legislative Internal Auditor Tommy Lasseigne presented a plan in recent months that rededicates part of the property tax millages benefiting parish libraries and the Council on Aging to the jail.

After lengthy debate, the council agreed to support the rededication of the library's millage, but did not support taking money from the Council on Aging.

Toups said he plans to put the library's millage rededication to voters in March, but a replacement for the Council on Aging's proposed contribution is still unclear.

Randolph said all options are on the table, but money from the BP oil spill settlement could play a role.

Part of the reason the council got behind rededicating the library's millage was the multimillion-dollar surplus the system has built up in recent years.

Toups also mentioned the possibility of considering a new sales tax.

“I think we can do this thing without any new taxes, but we are going to have to sit down and look hard at it,” Toups said.

Debate also remains regarding how large the jail should be.

A 600-bed facility with capacity to expand has become Toup's goal since visiting another LeBlanc-designed building in Pine Prairie. LeBlanc said he can design such a facility for under $20 million, which is what all financing plans have been based on since.

Councilman Phillip Gouaux protested adding the $400,000 to next year's budget, saying money shouldn't be set aside until the parish agrees on a size for the jail.

Louisiana's American Civil Liberties Union has also criticized the council for seeking a jail it sees as larger than the capacity needed.

“If you build it, they will come,” said the state ACLU's Outreach and Education Director Julie Thibodaux, who suggested the parish will be compelled to jail more people to fill the facility to capacity.

The current jail has a capacity of 244 prisoners, and more than 150 Lafourche inmates are in other parishes for detention.

Thibodaux argued with crime rates slumping nationwide, there should be no need for a facility large than the parish's current needs.

“We can look at who is in jail and try to reduce those prison populations,” Thibodaux said. “There are most likely people that could be put on programs and not take up a bed. Lafourche has done some of that. We can always reduce jail size through rehab facilities and tracking monitors.”

The parish hasn't properly assessed its need to determine what is necessary, Thibodaux said.

Sheriff Craig Webre has remained neutral on financing for the facility but said he feels the parish should build a 600- to 700-bed facility based on a study contracted three years ago by the National Institute of Corrections.

He disputed Thibodaux's opinion and said the parish's jail population is lower than it would be in an ideal situation because of the “suppression factor.”

“Everyone gets two (days credit) for one (day of) good time. That is a policy decision,” Webre said. “We could double the jail population by eliminating that.”

Webre said incentives like ‘two for one' should be used to reward participation in various programs or good behavior, not to reduce the jail population.

He argued the parish is “getting the horse before the carriage” in debating the architect situation before finding sources to pay for the project.

<p>Lafourche Parish is inching closer to a new jail by setting aside money for it in the 2013 budget.</p><p>But the $400,000 budgeted for the jail is nowhere near the hypothetical $20 million price tag. </p><p>Meanwhile, debate goes on regarding taxes to finance the facility, who should design it and how big it should be.</p><p>Councilman Lindel Toups, who chaired the new jail committee, said he is pleased 2012 saw money appropriated to the project and government officials almost agreeing on a financing method without new taxes and who should be the architect.</p><p>This is the first time money has been set aside for a new jail.</p><p>“If we decide to move forward this way, we can spend it on the land or we can use it to hire an architect or engineer,” Toups said.</p><p>Though strides have been made toward hiring an architect, there has been an ongoing disagreement between the Parish Council and Parish President Charlotte Randolph on if the parish can hire the council's choice.</p><p>After hearing the presentation of a $19 million, 600-bed facility from Louisiana jail magnate Mike LeBlanc, the Parish Council unanimously urged Randolph to hire LeBlanc.</p><p>Randolph has stalled on that request arguiing money must be appropriated before the project can be designed.</p><p>But now Randolph, who plans to meet with LeBlanc in the new year, said she is warming to LeBlanc's proposal because of provisions for local contractors and engineers she wasn't aware of. </p><p>Toups said the $400,000 should allow the architect to be hired, and LeBlanc has offered to draw the designs for a down payment of $10,000.</p><p>Even with an architect and $400,000, the parish has not agreed on how to finance the facility.</p><p>Legislative Internal Auditor Tommy Lasseigne presented a plan in recent months that rededicates part of the property tax millages benefiting parish libraries and the Council on Aging to the jail.</p><p>After lengthy debate, the council agreed to support the rededication of the library's millage, but did not support taking money from the Council on Aging.</p><p>Toups said he plans to put the library's millage rededication to voters in March, but a replacement for the Council on Aging's proposed contribution is still unclear.</p><p>Randolph said all options are on the table, but money from the BP oil spill settlement could play a role. </p><p>Part of the reason the council got behind rededicating the library's millage was the multimillion-dollar surplus the system has built up in recent years.</p><p>Toups also mentioned the possibility of considering a new sales tax.</p><p>“I think we can do this thing without any new taxes, but we are going to have to sit down and look hard at it,” Toups said.</p><p>Debate also remains regarding how large the jail should be.</p><p>A 600-bed facility with capacity to expand has become Toup's goal since visiting another LeBlanc-designed building in Pine Prairie. LeBlanc said he can design such a facility for under $20 million, which is what all financing plans have been based on since.</p><p>Councilman Phillip Gouaux protested adding the $400,000 to next year's budget, saying money shouldn't be set aside until the parish agrees on a size for the jail.</p><p>Louisiana's American Civil Liberties Union has also criticized the council for seeking a jail it sees as larger than the capacity needed.</p><p>“If you build it, they will come,” said the state ACLU's Outreach and Education Director Julie Thibodaux, who suggested the parish will be compelled to jail more people to fill the facility to capacity. </p><p>The current jail has a capacity of 244 prisoners, and more than 150 Lafourche inmates are in other parishes for detention.</p><p>Thibodaux argued with crime rates slumping nationwide, there should be no need for a facility large than the parish's current needs.</p><p>“We can look at who is in jail and try to reduce those prison populations,” Thibodaux said. “There are most likely people that could be put on programs and not take up a bed. Lafourche has done some of that. We can always reduce jail size through rehab facilities and tracking monitors.”</p><p>The parish hasn't properly assessed its need to determine what is necessary, Thibodaux said.</p><p>Sheriff Craig Webre has remained neutral on financing for the facility but said he feels the parish should build a 600- to 700-bed facility based on a study contracted three years ago by the National Institute of Corrections.</p><p>He disputed Thibodaux's opinion and said the parish's jail population is lower than it would be in an ideal situation because of the “suppression factor.”</p><p>“Everyone gets two (days credit) for one (day of) good time. That is a policy decision,” Webre said. “We could double the jail population by eliminating that.”</p><p>Webre said incentives like 'two for one' should be used to reward participation in various programs or good behavior, not to reduce the jail population. </p><p>He argued the parish is “getting the horse before the carriage” in debating the architect situation before finding sources to pay for the project.</p>